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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
From loans to crypto, the US financial siege of Hezbollah
The US and Israel are waging an all-out financial war on the Lebanese resistance, using border clampdowns, banking restrictions, and digital surveillance to cripple Hezbollah finances and shift Lebanon’s political balance.
By The Cradle's Lebanon Correspondent
❗️ A convoy of US occupation forces left the Al-Omar and Conoco oil fields in Syria's Deir Ezzor countryside, heading towards two bases in the Hasakah countryside.
The convoy will redeploy to Qasrak and Al-Shaddadi bases in the Hasakah countryside.
(Sources to Al Jazeera)
Iran says US 'not serious' about nuclear talks after Trump imposes new sanctions
Tehran says it is committed to reaching a 'fair agreement' despite US President Trump's announcement of secondary sanctions on firms and countries purchasing Iranian oil
Lebanon warns Palestinian factions against 'threatening national security'
Beirut has come under increasing pressure from the US to disarm Hezbollah and Palestinian resistance groups in Lebanon
❗️Quds Brigades announces that its fighters detonated an 'MK84' bomb that was pre-planted in a convoy of Israeli military vehicles in Al-Tuffah, Gaza City.
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❗️Qatar also condemned the Israeli attack that happened near the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria.
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Rubio demands Iran 'walk away' from uranium enrichment, long-range missiles
Iran has insisted that its enrichment of uranium and defense capabilities are ‘non-negotiable’ in nuclear talks with the US
❗️Israeli media reports that fires have reignited in the Latrun area west of Jerusalem, and the authorities have dispatched firefighting teams.
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BREAKING | Explosion rocks west Suwayda in southern Syria.
Local sources report that a farm was targeted by an airstrike.
❗️Bahrain's Ministry of Interior announced that Civil Defense and Bapco emergency teams responded to a leak in one of the company's units, successfully containing the incident and implementing safety precautions in and around the area. Two workers lost their lives, and a third was taken to the hospital for treatment by the National Ambulance.
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⁉️ "Fires come as a result of sexual immorality."
Israeli Rabbi Naftali Nissim blamed the recent wildfires on immodesty, promiscuity, and lust.
BREAKING | Missile sirens ring in Haifa and across the Galilee following a missile launched from Yemen.
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BREAKING | Israeli occupation forces are detaining displaced Palestinians returning to Nour Shams camp in Tulkarem, West Bank, to collect their belongings before their homes are demolished.
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❗️Lebanese President says groups such as Hamas must "not be allowed to compromise Lebanon's security."
Following a meeting in Baabda Palace, the Lebanese Higher Defense Council issued the following statement:
"As part of the ongoing security developments in Syria, the President of the Republic emphasized the need to contain any fallout that could negatively impact Lebanon's internal stability or exacerbate the Syrian refugee crisis.
Following this, military and security leaders presented updates on the general situation across Lebanon, particularly regarding recent rocket launches from Lebanese territory toward the occupied lands. The suspects involved have been arrested, and the necessary judicial procedures are underway.
In this context, the President stressed that Lebanon must not become a platform for destabilization, while affirming the importance of the Palestinian cause. He warned against dragging Lebanon into wars it cannot afford and exposing it to danger. The Prime Minister echoed this, underscoring the need to surrender illegal weapons in line with the National Accord Document and the government’s ministerial statement. He further stated that groups such as Hamas must not be allowed to compromise Lebanon's security, affirming that the country’s territorial integrity is paramount. At the same time, Lebanon remains committed to the Palestinian people's right to self-determination under international law and the Arab Peace Initiative.
After reviewing the situation and its implications, the Higher Defense Council issued the following recommendation to the Council of Ministers:
To issue a warning to Hamas against using Lebanese territory for any activities that threaten Lebanon’s national security, stressing that the state will take the toughest measures necessary to put an end to any violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
The Council also noted that legal proceedings against those detained in connection with the March 22 and 28 rocket attacks will begin early next week, and all individuals found to be involved will be prosecuted based on the results of the ongoing investigation."
⭕️ Yesterday, 29 year old Alaa Khudair was shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces during their raid in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, West Bank.
Footage shows the moment he was shot.
❗️Summary of Press Statement by Hamas leader Abdulrahman al-Shadid:
– Hamas submitted a comprehensive proposal on 17 April for a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, unrestricted aid and reconstruction, a major prisoner exchange, and a five-year truce backed by international and regional guarantees. It also calls for an independent technocratic body to govern Gaza, in line with Egypt’s proposed framework.
– Netanyahu rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire, withdrawal, and prisoner exchange, instead insisting on continued war even at the cost of Israeli captives, exploiting their suffering for political gain.
– Gaza is facing "one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history," with full-blown famine, mass malnutrition, and collapsed medical services due to Israel's blockade. Israel is waging a "slow-motion genocide" by using starvation as a weapon of war, and over a million children are suffering from hunger, while hospitals are overwhelmed and aid is blocked.
– Despite international appeals, Israel continues to block thousands of aid trucks waiting at the Rafah crossing, using starvation as a deliberate tactic. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s government continues to defy the ceasefire framework and escalate through bombing and siege. Meanwhile, the resistance Gaza remains defiant and "retains initiative and morale."
– Israel continues its assaults across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, while troops and settlers escalate killings and arrests under a “scorched earth” policy. In Jerusalem, there are intensified attempts to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque temporally and spatially, while in Hebron, access to the Ibrahimi Mosque is being restricted to Palestinians. Despite repression, the West Bank remains a front that “disrupts Israeli calculations.”
– Direct appeal to Arab and Islamic governments, criticizing their inaction amid the Gaza massacre and famine and urging them to enforce summit decisions, open crossings for aid, halt all forms of normalization with Israel, expel Israeli envoys, and pressure Western supporters of Israel by leveraging economic ties. The continued display of Israeli flags in Arab capitals while Palestinians in Gaza are being starved and killed is a “moral disgrace.”
– Called for global pressure to stop Israel’s starvation siege, praised Spain’s arms embargo, and condemned the attack on the 'Conscience' ship as state terrorism.
(Full subtitled video by Resistance News Network here)
❗️Today, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) Quds Brigades reported from the field that its fighters:
– Detonated an MK84 bomb, previously left behind by Israeli forces, targeting an enemy vehicle convoy in Gaza City's al-Tuffah neighborhood last Saturday.
– Detonated an Israeli D9 military bulldozer during its incursion into the same area.
⭕️ The Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla vessel with 30 international activists aboard, carried no weapons.
Only food, medical supplies, and solidarity with the Palestinian people.
This is not an isolated incident, but part of Israel’s long-documented strategy to criminalize and violently suppress any challenge to its blockade on Gaza.
The attack sends a clear message: Humanitarian solidarity with Gaza will be met with aggression and violence.
❗️Argentinian President Javier Milei on X:
"A day like today, 77 years ago, a State was born—modern yet ancient.
77 years of miracles, hope, courage, and determination.
77 years in which FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY rose above DARKNESS.
I congratulate the State of Israel on its short but glorious 77 years of existence.
A country small in size but immense in spirit.
Just like Argentina, Israel is a beacon of FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY.
AM ISRAEL CHAI!
VLLC!"
Iraqi PM defends Syrian president's visit despite calls for his arrest
Ahmad al-Sharaa previously carried out terror attacks against civilians in Iraq as an Al-Qaeda chief following the 2003 US invasion
❗️A statement from the Syrian Presidency condemns the Israeli attack that happened overnight near the Presidential Palace in Damascus, describing it as "a dangerous escalation by the occupying state and its backers."
The statement also urges the international community and Arab countries to "stand by Syria in confronting this hostile aggression, which violates international laws and conventions."
⭕️ Greece has reached a preliminary agreement with Dubai's Emirates, which includes a codeshare deal with Greek airline Aegean, according to a statement from the country's Tourism Ministry on Friday. The agreement aims to boost year-round tourism by enhancing traveler access to key destinations such as Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes.
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❗️Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announces that the PM spoke with Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, to discuss recent developments. Sheikh Tarif thanked Netanyahu for his actions to protect the Druze in Syria, including the strike near the presidential palace in Damascus.
Netanyahu also emphasized the importance of the Druze community continuing to uphold the law in Israel, while Sheikh Tarif assured him that Druze leaders condemn violence and remain committed to respecting the rule of law.
BREAKING | Egyptian sources to Al Arabiya:
Efforts to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip have faltered.
Israel informed mediators of its rejection of a temporary ceasefire, and has backtracked on clauses agreed upon in recent days.
Israel wants to keep its forces in Gaza until the end of the year, and insists on expanding its assault on Gaza.
⭕️ On Sunday night, Syria TV reported that the Syrian government had sent a letter to the United States rejecting any involvement in normalizing relations with Israel, citing Israel’s ongoing occupation of Syrian territory. Sources told the channel that the Abraham Accords are agreements with countries whose lands are not under Israeli occupation, and therefore Syria cannot participate unless the occupation of its territory ends.
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❗️Footage from Haifa shows sirens sounding in response to a missile launched from Yemen. According to the Israeli Army Radio, Yemeni Armed Forces have launched 25 missiles towards Israel since 18 March, 2025.
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❗️Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Washington to seek Trump’s backing for military action against Iran’s nuclear sites. However, less than a day before a joint press event at the White House, he was informed that the US would begin talks with Iran within days.
(Reuters)
Israeli drone bombs Gaza Freedom Flotilla near Malta coast
The attack comes as a food crisis in Gaza is worsening due to Israel’s total siege and closure of all border crossings
❗️US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Iran must "walk away" from enriching uranium and developing long-range missiles, and should permit American inspectors access to its facilities.
"They have to walk away from sponsoring terrorists, they have to walk away from helping the Houthis, they have to walk away from building long-range missiles that have no purpose to exist other than having nuclear weapons, and they have to walk away from enrichment," Rubio said in a Fox News interview.
WATCH | The Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) Quds Brigades shares footage of an Israeli drone, a 'Matrice 350 RTK,' that was captured while it was carrying out intelligence missions over the skies of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
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